India’s seasoned sports administrator and former president of the Indian Olympic Association, Suresh Kalmadi, passed away in Pune on January 6.
He was 81.
He is survived by his wife Meera Kalmadi, a son, and daughters.
His last rites were held at Pune’s Vaikunth Crematorium, according to a press release issued by the IOA.
Kalmadi was a prominent figure in Indian sports administration for several decades. He served as president of the Indian Olympic Association for more than a decade and also headed the Athletics Federation of India. At the international level, he was president of the Asian Athletics Association and served as a member council of World Athletics.
He led the Athletics Federation of India from 1987 to 2006 and headed the Asian athletics body for nearly a decade starting in 2000. As the IOA president from 1996 to 2012, Kalmadi played a key role in organising the Afro Asian Games in Andhra Pradesh. A former union minister, he was also the chairman of the organising committee for the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Former AFI secretary Lalit Bhanot said Kalmadi revived the National Games and helped build modern sports infrastructure across the country. AFI president Bahadur Singh Sagoo said Kalmadi’s contribution to Indian athletics would be remembered for a long time, citing his efforts to introduce prize money meets and travel concessions for sportspersons.